Skip to main content
Earth, Planets and Space
Download PDF

A first paleomagnetic and rock magnetic investigation of calcareous nodules from the Chinese Loess Plateau

Earth, Planets and Space volume 57, pages 29–34 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

A detailed paleomagnetic and rock magnetic investigation was carried out on calcareous nodule layers embedded in the loess-paleosol sequences near Baoji city, southern Chinese Loess Plateau. The anisotropy of low-field magnetic susceptibility confirms that calcareous nodules retain the primary sedimentary fabric of original deposits. Rock magnetic properties demonstrate that calcareous nodules have the same mineralogy and grain sizes as loess-paleosol deposits. Characteristic remanent magnetizations of calcareous nodules have directions consistent with those of adjacent loess and paleosol deposits. The Punaruu event, previously found from loess deposits in the upper part of loess unit L13 in Weinan, southern Chinese Loess Plateau, is observed at the corresponding stratigraphic level in the calcareous nodule layer. These observations indicate that the calcareous nodule layers preserve primary remanent magnetizations of original deposits before calcification, and that they can contribute to paleomagnetic studies in the Chinese Loess Plateau.

References

  • Biswas, D. K., M. Hyodo, Y. Taniguchi, M. Kaneko, S. Katoh, H. Sato, Y. Kinugasa, and K. Mizuno, Magnetostratigraphy of Plio-Pleistocene sediments in a 1700-m core from Osaka Bay, southwestern Japan and short geomagnetic events in the middle Matuyama and early Brunhes chrons, Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., 148, 233–248, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J., J. F. Ji, G. Qiu, and H. Y. Lu, Geochemical studies on the intensity of chemical weathering in Luochuan loess sequence, China, Sci. in China (D), 41, 235–241, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, R., M. Fuller, and V. A. Schmidt, Hysteresis properties of titanomagnetites: Grain size and compositional dependence, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 13, 260–267, 1977.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, C. L., R. X. Zhu, K. L. Verosub, M. J. Singer, and N. J. Vidic, Mineral magnetic properties of loess/paleosol couplets of the central loess plateau of China over the last 1.2 Myr, J. Geophys. Res., 109, B01103, doi: 10.1029/2003JB002532, 2004.

  • Evans, M. E. and F. Heller, Magnetism of loess/paleosol sequences: Recent developments, Earth-Sci. Rev., 54, 129–144, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, X. M., J. J. Li, R. Van der Voo, C. Mac Niocaill, R. X. Dai, R. A. Kemp, E. Derbyshire, J. X. Cao, J. M. Wang, and G. Wang, A record of the Blake event during the last interglacial paleosol in the western Loess Plateau of China, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 146, 73–82, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, B., R. Zhu, F. Florindo, Z. Ding, and J. Sun, A short, reverse polarity interval within the Jaramillo subchron: Evidence from the Jingbian section, northern Chinese Loess Plateau, J. Geophys. Res., 107, 2124, doi:10.1029/2001JB000706, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, Z. T., W. F. Ruddiman, Q. Z. Hao, Y. S. Qiao, R. X. Zhu, S. Z. Peng, J. J. Wei, B. Y. Yuan, and T. S. Liu, Onset of Asian desertification by 22 Myr ago inferred from loess deposits in China, Nature, 416, 159–163, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heller, F., X. M. Liu, T. S. Liu, and T. C. Xu, Magnetic susceptibility of loess in China, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 103, 301–310, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heslop, D., J. Shaw, J. Bloemendal, J. Chen, J. Wang, and E. Parker, Submillennial scale variations in East Asian monsoon systems recorded by dust deposits from the North-Western Chinese Loess Plateau, Phys. Chem. Earth (A), 24, 785–792, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirschvink, J. L., The least-squares line and plane and the analysis of palaeomagnetic data, Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc., 62, 699–718, 1980.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Q., S. K. Banerjee, M. J. Jackson, F. Chen, Y. Pan, and R. Zhu, An integrated study of the grain-size-dependent magnetic mineralogy of the Chinese loess/paleosol and its environmental significance, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 2437, doi:10.1029/2002JB002264, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, T. S., Loess and the Environment, China Ocean Press, Beijing, 251 pp., 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X. M., J. Shaw, T. S. Liu, F. Heller, and B. Y. Yuan, Magnetic mineralogy of the Chinese loess and its significance, Geophys. J. Int., 108, 301–308, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowrie, W., Identification of ferromagnetic minerals in a rock by coercivity and unblocking temperature properties, Geophys. Res. Lett., 17, 159–160, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maher, B. A. and R. Thompson, Paleoclimatic significance of the mineral magnetic record of the Chinese loess and paleosols, Quat. Res., 37, 155–170, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan, Y. X., R. X. Zhu, J. Shaw, Q. S. Liu, and B. Guo, Can relative paleointensities be determined from the normalized magnetization of the wind-blown loess of China?, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 19221–19232, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan, Y. X., R. X. Zhu, Q. S. Liu, B. Guo, L. P. Yue, and H. N. Wu, Geomagnetic episodes of the last 1.2 Myr recorded in Chinese loess, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1282, doi:10.1029/2001GL014024, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, N. W., Z. L. Ding, M. E. Evans, and T. S. Liu, Baoji-type pedostratigraphic section, Loess Plateau, north-central China, Quat. Sci. Rev., 10, 1–22, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singer, B. S., K. A. Hoffman, A. Chauvin, R. S. Coe, and M. S. Pringle, Dating transitionally magnetized lavas of the late Matuyama Chron: Toward a new 40Ar/39Ar timescale of reversals and events, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 679–693, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spassov, S., F. Heller, M. E. Evans, L. P. Yue, and T. von Dobeneck, A lock-in model for the complex Matuyama-Brunhes boundary record of the loess/paleosol sequence at Lingtai (Central Chinese Loess Plateau), Geophys. J. Int., 155, 350–366, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, Y. B., J. Zhou, and Z. S. An, Geochemical characteristics of calcareous nodules in Lingtai eolian deposits, Geochimica, 29, 2000 (in Chinese).

  • Tric, E., C. Laj, C. Jéhanno, J.-P. Valet, C. Kissel, A. Mazaud, and S. Iaccarino, High-resolution record of the Upper Olduvai transition from Po Valley (Italy) sediments: Support for dipor transition geometry?, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 65, 319–336, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, T. S., M. Hyodo, Z. Y. Yang, and J. L. Fu, Evidence for the Kamikatsura and Santa Rosa excursions recorded in eolian deposits from the southern Chinese Loess Plateau, J. Geophys. Res., 109, B12105, doi:10.1029/2004JB002966, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, T. S., M. Hyodo, Z. Y. Yang, and J. L. Fu, Three geomagnetic excursions from the middle Pleistocene loess-paleosol sediments near Baoji, southern Chinese Loess Plateau, Geochem. Geophy. Geosy, 2005 (in preparation).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, H. B., T. Rolph, J. Shaw, and Z. S. An, A detailed paleomagnetic record for the last interglacial period, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 133, 339–351, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, R. X., L. P. Zhou, L. Laj, A. Mazaud, and Z. L. Ding, The Blake geomagnetic polarity episode recorded in Chinese loess, Geophys. Res. Lett., 21, 697–700, 1994a.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, R. X., C. Laj, and A. Mazaud, The Matuyama-Brunhes and Upper Jaramillo transitions recorded in a loess section at Weinan, north-central China, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 125, 143–158, 1994b.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, R. X., Y. X. Pan, and Q. S. Liu, Geomagnetic excursions recorded in Chinese loess in the last 70,000 years, Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 505–508, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, R. X., B. Guo, Y. X. Pan, and Q. S. Liu, Study on the reliability of geomagnetic secular variations recorded in a loess section at Lingtai, North-central China, Sci. in China (D), 43, 1–9, 2000a.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, R. X., B. Guo, Z. L. Ding, Z. T. Guo, A. Kazansky, and G. Matasova, Gauss-Matuyama polarity transition obtained from a loess section at Weinan, north-central China, Chinese J. Geophy., 43, 621–634, 2000b (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, R. X., Q. S. Liu, and M. J. Jackson, Paleoenvironmental significance of the magnetic fabrics in the Chinese loess-paleosols since the last interglacial (<130 ka), Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 221, 55–69, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan

    Tianshui Yang

  2. Research Center for Inland Seas, Kobe University, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan

    Masayuki Hyodo

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Zhenyu Yang

  4. Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    Zhiming Sun

Authors
  1. Tianshui Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Masayuki Hyodo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhenyu Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zhiming Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tianshui Yang.

Rights and permissions

Open Access  This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.

The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.

To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yang, T., Hyodo, M., Yang, Z. et al. A first paleomagnetic and rock magnetic investigation of calcareous nodules from the Chinese Loess Plateau. Earth Planet Sp 57, 29–34 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351803

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351803

Key words